Huff, Puff, 'n Blow You Away
by Avenging Neko
Summary: Sequel to Big Bad Wolf. It's been thirteen years since that fateful day in the woods, that game of Hide and Go Seek… Little Red Riding Hood has changed, no longer the innocent child. Now, oh now… She's been training with the Huntswoman for a very specific purpose. (Cover Image by JuJu)
1. Chapter 1

**Huff, Puff, And Blow You Away**

_Jubalii made the pretty cover image. :D Thank her for it! *nod*_

_**Neko:**_** DON'TKILLME!** Or you'll never know what happens next. *cough*  
My muse has ADD or something, and she's really tight lipped about letting me write anything. =/  
But here's this! Yay. Let's see if I can get more out. Hopefully.

* * *

_The Morning After Meeting The Big Bad Wolf:_

Grandfather Walter had insisted she stay the night, refusing to let her back into the woods after the sun had set. She had no qualms with that, and had settled down to sleep quite easily. She woke briefly at the sound of the front door opening and the scuffle of booted feet and raised voices before they were hushed and her child's mind ignored the intrusion in her rest.

When she woke again for breakfast, she found to her delight the Huntswoman was visiting her Grandfather, though she was worried by the bandage around the beautiful woman's face. She didn't quite dare ask her about it, not then anyways. After the food was eaten and the dishes cleared, Little Red Riding Hood and her Grandfather set off down the path through the woods to home. Seras skipped along, her empty basket swinging exuberantly at her side, a cheerful tune humming through her lips.

Twenty minutes later found the pair cresting the small hill leading to the family farm, where the horses would be grazing in the sun warmed grass and the hired hands would be performing their daily duties while the children of varying ages did their part. Seras looked forward to returning home to the big house, so she could feel her mama's pregnant belly and giggle as her future sibling kicked at her hands. Her blue eyes sparkled in delight at the thought and she hurried her steps, thinking perhaps to beg a treat from Cookie before the other girls saw her and dragged her off to help milk the cows or some such. Seras' family was not quite like most of the others in the village, while it was true they were rich and hired people to work the land and animals for them, they pitched in their two cents as well to keep the Victoria Farm going.

But as they reached the top, and a gust of wind hit them, carrying the scents of the farm, something felt terribly _wrong_, and the empty basket fell from limp fingers. The fields were empty, nothing moved at all on the vast expanse of land, and Seras ran; heedless of her grandfather's shouts and the heavy footfalls chasing her, she ran for the big cheerful yellow painted house on the other gentle slope of the hills. As she sprinted past the open door of the barn something dreadful lurked at the corner of her eye, and she felt tears gathering on her cheeks. She heard her grandfather's gasp of alarm, and it only fueled her panicked fear to go _faster_, faster to stop… stop…

She burst into the kitchen door, and screamed. The once white room was coated in red, and her eyelids slammed shut just as she caught a glimpse of a horrible silhouette against the oven that looked lumpy and misshapen, as though someone were interrupted while fixing a scarecrow, and it was still missing its head. She stumbled blindly, and slipped on the slickness of the floor, towards the door to the hallway. She felt something soft under her little shoe, but couldn't force herself to look, and her chest heaved with sobs as she tripped and landed in a heap in the hall next to the stairs.

Everything she saw was red, she could _taste_ it on her tongue with each hitching breath, and she just couldn't quite grasp it, why, why, _why…_

When her grandfather Walter made it into the house, he found little Seras perched on the third step, her mother's head cradled in her lap – his daughter's throat was an open wound, he was amazed that it was still holding the dead woman's skull in place – with her blue eyes staring at nothing. At least, he had thought it nothing until he turned and saw the note scrawled on the wall in their family's blood.

'_**I'm a sore loser.'**_

There was a red paw print acting as both the period and the signature. "Dear god, what have you done..?" He whispered, before he turned and was violently sick in an empty pot that used to hold a petunia.

It was hours before the first villager arrived to help bury the dead, and the land was deemed _unclean_, and was to be burned. All the animals were dead, down to the last chicken egg smashed against the floor. Seras was allowed – so they claimed, but, really, it was Walter who was forced to do it – to gather her things from her room and a few scraps of memory before her home was put to the torch.

The six year old Little Red Riding Hood was silent the entire trek down the protected path – she liked to call it the yellow brick road – through the woods, and had, in fact, not said a single word since her grandfather found her on the steps. When they arrived back at Grandfather's House, and the Huntswoman was there, waiting, the little blonde continued to be as silent as the grave.

She climbed the stairs up to her little guest room, her skirts still stained with her mother's blood, picked up the little Raggedy Ann doll tossed across her pillow, and began to cry.


	2. Chapter 2

**Huff, Puff, And Blow You Away**

_**Neko:** _Sooo... kinda short. But, hey, it's an update. I'MTRYING. D: pleasedon'tkillme

* * *

_One Month After The Slaughter:_

Walter stared up at the ceiling with a pinched look on his aged features, his hands clenched on the edge of the table at the eerie silence filling his home.

"Still not a word?" Sir Integra asked, without really asking, she'd been staying at her old friend's home the past few weeks since the _incident_, and her left eye (what remained of it) throbbed. A sore loser, indeed, the blasted 'wolf' knew that she'd be on the rampage to hunt him down and had fled. (At least, that's what she told herself, anyways.)

"No." He admitted, frowning, "She hardly eats, she's turning to skin and bones." He couldn't bare to lose her, too, she was the only family he had left.

Integra laid her hand across the back of his as she stood and made her way to the stairs, a silent understanding passing between the two; she'd do her best to fix it, and he'd be there to pick up the pieces.

She stood there in the open doorway of the girl's room, observing her for a moment; the once vibrant blonde locks hung limply around her wan face, blue eyes huge and slightly sunken, haunted, staring at nothing as she clutched the doll in her lap. Even the girl's red cloak seemed dulled by her malaise.

She opened her mouth, as if to speak, then closed it again, watching the child carefully. Finally, she spoke, four simple words, but they tore Seras' focus from the things that could never be again, and into the here and now.

"Would you like revenge?"

* * *

_Seras: Age 7  
One Year After The Incident_

Seras yipped as she hit the tree with her back, going limp on impact to lessen the blow somewhat – she'd have a bruise, she knew it – and flicking her wrist to release the catch of her knife, which she threw with unnatural precision. A dull _thunk_ sounded as it hit home in Sir Integra's wodden shield, raised in preparation for the retaliatory strike. "Good, Seras, you're improving." The stoic woman praised as she watched the little blonde stagger to her feet, looking dazed.

"That will be all for today, or your grandfather will have my head." She laughed, long legs eating up the distance to the younger blonde as she ruffled her hair affectionately and returned the blade to the girl.

As they walked up the path together to the large cabin-house in the center of the woods, a chill crept up the miniature blonde's spine and she shivered, clutching her red cloak tightly to herself protectively. On the back porch sat a picnic basket that hadn't been there when they left.

Sir Integra stiffened at her side, and Seras knew that she sensed it as well, but it was as if she couldn't control herself. Seras walked stiffly up the back path to the railing, reaching a trembling hand out to pull the wicker basket from the edge – it was very light, surprisingly so – before placing it on the grass and flipping it open before she lost her nerve.

The sight that greeted her was horrible, and she began to scream and sob hysterically. A picture of her family – her _dead _family – lay at the bottom of the basket and all the figures save her own were smeared in blood and if it weren't for the copy that she had among her precious things, she would have never known that it was of them all as one big happy group in front of the big house, her mother just having announced her pregnancy. Next to the picture lay a note, in a messy scrawl she remembered from her nightmares; _**You stole my heart, Little Red Riding Hood.**_ There was no need to sign it, they both knew it, in lieu of that lay a half chewed bloody heart, still oozing crimson onto the woven bottom of the basket and staining it red.

_Who's afraid of the big bad wolf? Open this door, or I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house down!_

_Not by the hairs on my chinny, chin, chin, chanted the pig._

She began to laugh as she collapsed to her knees, tears streaming down her cheeks and blurring her vision. Once more the world was dyed in red.

"Seras? SERAS!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Huff, Puff, And Blow You Away**

_**Neko:** _Zomigawd, AN UPDATE. THREE IN A ROW. IN LESS THAN A WEEK. I'm on a roll. ;o  
I'm not answering questions in regards to romance between our favorite Count and his little Draculina, because that would be a spoiler. Wait and seeeee...~

* * *

_Seras: Age 10  
On The Road_

Seras pushed her hood up with her hand, blinking at the sudden burst of bright light assaulting her eyes, to peer around curiously at the village they were passing through. Sir Integra nudged the girl with her elbow as she steered the – somewhat shabby – mare towards the looming inn, "It's about time you woke up, brat. We'll be staying for about a week, your grandfather's contact should be arriving in a few days." The little girl nodded solemnly before her cornflower blue gaze was caught by the sight of playing children and a smile cracked her face in half. She leaped off the cart without another word and ran over to play with them, her bright red cloak nearly as vibrant as her laugh.

* * *

Supper time was rolling around before Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing saw her charge enter the inn, and she lifted her hand in a combined greeting and summons. Little Red Riding Hood skipped over obediently and clambered up into the chair at her side, grabbing her half of the early meal and scarfing it like a starving wolf. "Hmph." Integra grunted, unimpressed with the girl's table manners.

Seras grinned at her around a mouthful of bread and she grimaced, "Close your mouth! One would think you were raised in a b- pig stye." She corrected herself from saying the word 'barn', ignoring the way Seras' eyes flashed at her almost-slip.

"E-excuse me?" A timid voice asked, interrupting the potential quarrel the two felt brewing in the air, and Integra turned to observe a mousy looking woman with a kerchief covering her hair, her hazel eyes looked troubled. "Yes?" The Huntswoman asked in a kind but gruff tone.

"Are you hunters?" The villager asked with a hopeful note of pleading in her voice.

Integra straightened in her chair, and looked down at the short female from over the rims of her spectacles, "Indeed. Do you require our services?"

She nodded frantically and clasped her hands to her chest, "Oh thank the heavens! We've had bats living in the barn for months, and they never caused any problems, but now the horses and cows are covered in bite marks each night!" The woman sounded near hysterical, now, and Integra sighed through her nose. "I understand, we'll deal with it. Come along, Seras." She called to the girl who had just finished stuffing her face like a squirrel, and hopped out of her chair to stand by her side. "Take us to your barn, then."

The farmer's wife did so after a minute or two of dithering, but they were on their way on foot to the barn in question after grabbing a few things from their wagon When they arrived it was full night, and both blondes could _smell_ the monster hiding amongst the mortal creatures. Integra placed her palm against the closed double doors, ignoring the babbling of the peasant at her side, before she nodded. "Seras, it's all yours."

"Wh-what?" The farmer's wife sputtered, watching the little girl open the left door, "But she's just a child!"

Integra stood impassive, face devoid of emotion, "She's a child in training to be a _hunter_, she can handle this."

* * *

Seras shivered as the overpowering musk of the hellspawn engulfed her senses. She wrinkled her nose, and looked around for a minute before spotting an empty grain sack. That would do.

Looking up at the rafters, her brows furrowed, well, those were rather far away… Reaching into her pocket, she withdrew a 'garlic bomb', and sighted along the v of her slingshot up into the middle of the colony, and let fly. The cloth wrapped bundle of garlic dust attached to a weighted pebble flew with unerring accuracy up the ceiling where it burst open in a spray of noxious dust.

The reaction was instantaneous; the colony swarmed to life as the flying mammals plummeted from their roosts and began to bump into the walls and each other as they attempted to escape the burning sting of their poor noses being overloaded. One in particular, however, fell to the floor with a sickening crack as one of its wings broke on impact. Seras ignored the hubbub of the cloud above her and walked cautiously over to the downed figure.

Just as she thought, the bat – an albino – flew for her face as soon as she was close enough, the naturally red eyes seeming to glow crimson from the aggravation of the garlic, and she dodged fluidly to the right. "Is that the best you've got?" The little girl taunted, empty sack hanging limp from her left hand. The bat screeched, a horribly ugly noise that grated on her ears, and swung back with its fangs extended past its lower lip, and Seras grinned mockingly. She ducked the next swoop, and swung the bag up to capture the lesser vampire in the sack, tying it off with deft twists of the holy water soaked rope she kept around her wrist at all times. The creature screamed and thrashed, and the sack threatened to leap out of her hands, but Seras ignored it and walked calmly to the doors, kicking them open to create a grand entrance of emerging from a swarm of brown and black bats victorious.

Sir Integra smacked her across the back of the head for her theatrics and tossed the sack into the silver bird cage at her feet while the poor farmer's wife broke into hysterical sobs. Seras pouted, and rubbed at her head with a hurt look on her face that was ignored by her mentor.

They were paid two silver for removing the infernal infestation, and Seras grinned and skipped along at the Huntswoman's side, her red cloak floating around her knees. The cage held in the austere woman's left hand rattled as the creature – still inside the sack – writhed around, but it went ignored. When they made it back to the inn, the cage was chained to the wagon with silver, and the bat was kept in its sack, with another one thrown atop it to obscure the silver from greedy eyes. "We'll deal with you in the morning." Sir Integra grumbled, and turned away to get some bloody sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Huff, Puff, And Blow You Away**

_**Ketti:**_ANOTHER UPDATE. It must be a miracle. Yes, I keep changing my little authornote names. *adjusts kitty scarf*

* * *

_Seras: Age 13  
Grandfather's House_

Seras tossed and turned, muscles tensing as a low cry escaped her throat. Her body arched off the bed with a muffled and garbled scream before she fell limp and began to shiver.

Above her bed, a white bat with a red ribbon tied around its throat shifted its weight, opening and closing its wings to observe the teenager with garnet eyes. The bat chattered to itself, seeming amused, before quieting and tucking its head back between its wings.

* * *

_Who's afraid of the big bad wolf_

_Big bad wolf, big bad wolf?_

_Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?_

_Tra la la la la…_

Seras jerked awake with a shriek, she could still hear _his_ voice in her head, mocking her.

_Little Red Riding Hood,  
Come out, come out to play.  
Little Red Riding Hood,  
You can't stay inside all day…_

Angry tears pooled in the corners of her eyes, but she dashed them away with the sleeve of her nightgown and glared murderously at the bat in the corner of her room where a distinctly feminine giggle was emanating, "Shut up, Fluffy!" The girl snapped, blue eyes turbulent with conflicting emotions.

'_How many times must I tell you my name is Sasha?!'_

The high pitched shriek made her head throb, but she ignored it, "And how many times must I tell you your name is _Fluffy_?" Seras spat vindictively, throwing the covers off her bed and storming down the stairs to breakfast with her Grandfather.

She would be leaving again soon with Sir Integra, travelling and training all in one. They returned home for a few days each month – Seras noted once that it was always during the full moon and wondered why – and the little blonde wanted to spend some time with her only living relative. Grandfather Walter was an excellent marksman, and one of their favorite past times was a friendly competition of darts.

'_If you human filth ever catch up with him, I'm rooting for the Wolf.'_ Fluffy snarled into the departing girl's mind before fluttering over to a different corner to resume her nap.

* * *

"Sooo…" Seras drawled, tilting her chair back and peering at her grandfather upside down, "Have your friends said anything about sightings?"

A boot tucked itself behind the first rung of her chair and yanked it down, throwing Seras forward against the table with a groan, "Honestly, Seras, do you have no concept of what it means to be 'lady like'?" Sir Integra growled in exasperation.

Seras' lips twitched at the corners and she grinned mischievously, "Oh, I'm sorry, _Sir_, I'll try harder." She taunted the woman with a man's title, ducking instinctively and laughing as she dodged the hit to her head. Another one came from behind.

"Owww…" Seras whined petulantly, giving Walter a hurt look.

"Respect your elders, Kitten." He reminded with an indulgent smile, "As to your question, well, it just so happens that…'

* * *

Seras shivered and sneezed, huddling deeper into her fur coat and staring miserably out at the world of white beyond their wagon. Beside her, a tiny sneeze answered from the tarp covered silver cage that Fluffy was kept it, fully agreeing with the mortal girl that their travelling conditions were deplorable.

"Siiiir…" The teen whined, "It's cold. Can we stop at the next village? _Please?_"

"Oh all right." The Huntswoman grunted in agreement, just as bundled as her young charge, but more practiced at keeping quiet about her misery.

"Yaaay." Seras cheered, scooting closer to her mentor to drape her extra blanket around the taller woman's shoulders, resting her cheek against Integra's upper arm.

"Is he really out here?" She muttered dubiously, sniffling as her nose turned red. She promptly pulled the neck of her coat up higher, huddling it on herself.

"Who knows? White out conditions make the natives restless, and any old monster or demon could be blown up to god like proportions by the rumor mill." Integra grumbled, twitching the reins to warn her mare of the branch she spied jutting out into their half buried path.

'_To your left!'_ Fluffy screeched in their heads and the two females turned as one, Seras pulling the blanket away and Integra lifting her sword from its sheath in one fluid motion. There was a yelp as the lunging wolf skewered itself, and cold amber eyes glared at them before they fogged over, dead.

"Well done, monster." Integra grunted, hefting the wolf carcass into the open back of their cart – the pelt would be useful – before turning her head to eye Seras meaningfully. The girl sighed, nodded, and scrambled back into the formerly empty bed to unwrap the canvas covering from Fluffy's cage, opening the door a moment later to allow the vampire bat her freedom and meal.

There was no verbal communication between the two, but Seras thought she sensed the faintest breath of gratitude for not waiting and allowing the blood to freeze. When their tamed monster had her fill she went back to her silver gilded prison to escape the cold, and was once more shrouded in darkness and warmth as the wind was kept out by rhe return of the cloth.

Seras eyed the wolf for a moment, admiring the silver-white pelt, before making her way to the driver's seat once more and rewrapping herself in the extra covering, sharing body heat with the Huntswoman. Little Red Riding Hood was not a fan of the snow.


	5. Chapter 5

**Huff, Puff, And Blow You Away**

_**Ketti:** _Short chapter is short. I ran out of ideas for the moment, but I know what I want to have happen when she's nineteen and the real plot starts. :P

* * *

_Seras: Age 15  
On The Road_

Seras squinted momentarily before firing, the recoil rocking through her body, but she was well accustomed to it and her grip never wavered. The ghoul moaned, a terrible garbled noise, before its head disintegrated from the enormous hole punched through the middle of it, and the rest of its decomposing body swiftly followed suit. A wolf snarled to her right and she pivoted on her heel, easily leveling the modified shotgun at its chest and firing with the ease born of long practice. The sharp crack of a pistol retort sounded off behind her, but she dared not turn and look, her sky blue eyes darting about for any signs of further attack.

A hellish scream rent the air in time with three more shots, and the street fell still and silent as the grave, the chill wind scattering the ashes of the once-more dead. Seras sighed, but kept her weapon – she called it Harky to piss Sir Integra off – at the ready for any more possessed wolves. Her nostrils flared and her ears twitched, but she could detect nothing.

Hefting the gun up onto her shoulder where she could fire if needed, the young Huntress-in-Training turned and watched the approach of her Master through the once occupied village. Sir Integra's glasses glinted in the moonlight, and obscured her ice blue eyes from the younger blonde's view.

"Spread out and search for survivors." Were the only words the Hellsing spoke before turning and striding with her long, long, legs towards the nearest row of houses off from the square. Seras nodded grimly and spared a brief glance at the sky above, catching the faint flicker of movement as Fluffy acted as aerial scout, as she turned to do just that. They'd start at the ends and meet in the middle.

As it turned out there were no survivors, and the last house Seras checked was the worst because _he_ had been there. She knew he wasn't the cause of the decimated village, just the catalyst that opened the floodgates to the other hell creatures. Painted on the walls in blood over the slumped corpses of a family that resembled her own were six simple words.

_**Too slow, Little Red Riding Hood.**_

It was signed with a bloody wolf print, and she saw that the girl – the one that looked eerily like herself when she was younger – had suffered a bite to the neck.

She scowled, and glared at the note on the wall. The only reason these corpses hadn't been disturbed was because the bastard had marked the spot like a dog pissing on a tree, the other monsters wouldn't dare to mess with his play things.

A hand dropped to her shoulder, and she sighed, "Help me bury them?" She muttered, already knowing her Master would agree.

They spent the rest of the night cleaning up the mess left by the unholy creatures, and left at dawn's first light, leaving behind a ghost town with no sign of the inhabitants.

* * *

The next night, camped out in the open back of their cart, Seras tossed and turned fitfully, her face pinched and fingers clenching into fists. Sir Integra glanced back at her protégé with some concern, perched as she was in the driver's bench for her turn at watch, but said not a word.

If she had continued watching she would have noticed the abrupt change in the girl's expression, and the way her writhing grew more sensuous. Seras' mouth opened in a silent cry as her back arched, thrusting her generous breasts to the sky. Her eyelids fluttered a moment before she went limp and curled in on herself, one hand rising to clutch at her neck as though to fend off a lover's kiss – or, perhaps… a bite.


	6. Chapter 6

**Huff, Puff, And Blow You Away**

_**Ketti:**_Another short one, but leading up to an epic scene next chapter. Aaaand the main story should start on chapter eight. I'm not 100% sure yet. We'll see.

* * *

_Seras: Age 16  
On The Road_

Seras crouched silently on the tree branch, blue eyes sharp and watchful as she stared down the length of the forest path, waiting for her prey to appear. Sir Integra was inside the little cabin with the family on the off chance the blood sucker took a different route, leaving her student to stand guard outside. Seras' mind threatened to drift, but she curled her right hand in a fist, nails digging little crescents into her palm until the slight pain woke her from her reverie. She had to _focus_.

In the back of her mind she could faintly hear Fluffy grumbling about being locked up just because the missus thought she had rabies. Seras' lips twitched in a smirk. Served the little beast right for being so uppity in front of company.

There! A flicker of movement caught her eye and she froze, one hand wrapped securely around the branch above her head, the other resting on her knee, more discreet handgun clutched tightly, trigger finger ready. That peculiar _other_ sense that Sir Hellsing had trained her to utilize tingled, and she knew without a doubt that this was the blood sucker harassing the family they were hired to protect.

_Closer, closer…just a little closer…_

He was strolling up the road, casual as can be, the smug bastard, and Seras hid her thoughts behind a smooth wall – another useful trick she was taught by her Master - as she waited for him to come into range.

There!

Just as she was about to tilt the gun down the slightest degree to fire, a cramp gripped her stomach and her eyes widened in horror. _Damnit!_

She fired, but he was already gone, and she hit the ground with a scream muffled by the hand around her mouth. "Iiii… smell blood." He groaned into her ear, panting and salivating as she wheezed and tried to get the air back into her lungs. She was lucky that there were no protruding roots or rocks or she would have broken her spine on impact for sure.

He pressed her firmly into the ground, clutching at her shirt and pulling it slowly – oh so fucking slowly - upwards as she desperately tried to fend him off, or scream for Integra, but her movements were sluggish from the quickly forming bruise on her spine, and she felt light headed.

_No!_ She hissed mentally, and threw all of her weight backwards into a roll, the daily exercises helping to bring her knees up, and then her feet to shove the perverse freak off of her. It worked to an extent and she managed to catch her feet after flipping over herself, but she met the ground again with a soundless gasp as, once more, the air was forced from her lungs. Choking, she snarled and swung her right fist at the vampire's face, only to have it caught in his hand. He leered at her with his jet black eyes and yellowing fangs, "Tsk tsk, precious, is that any way to treat your future master?" With a deft twist of his own wrist, hers snapped and she screamed.

To add insult to injury, she felt a trickle of sticky warmth pool in her crotch from her uterus' betrayal of her position. The blood sucker's eyes widened with a manic glee as he looked down between her legs. He laughed, and the sound sickened her as he bent towards her thighs, tongue lolling from his mouth like a dog.

She tensed and opened her mouth to scream again when a _pressure_ clamped down on her thoughts, and her eyes squinted to slits from the discomfort, but she saw the vampire had frozen and he looked absolutely _terrified_. Seras felt a sick thrill of satisfaction fill her as he jerked upright and stared at her incredulously seconds before his head was blown clean off. Blood spattered her like rain, and she shivered before the body deteriorated to thick greasy ash.

"Seras!" Sir Integra shouted as she approached, noting that her student had yet to return to her feet, and she was concerned. When she got there, she found the blonde unconscious and swiftly checked her for any bites or wounds. She grimaced in sympathy when she realized what had given her away to the monster and with some help from the missus of the house got her Little Red Riding Hood cleaned up, and placed in the cart with her trademark cloak acting as a blanket. The vampire was dead, their job was done, and from the unnatural angle of Seras' hand, they needed to head back to Walter's for some recuperation time.

She took a second to wonder about that look of wet-your-pants terror on the hell spawn's face, but shrugged it off as swiftly as it came. Her coin purse was a little heavier, and there was one less abomination walking their lands, that was all she cared about for now.


	7. Chapter 7

**Huff, Puff, And Blow You Away**

_**Ketti:** _This chapter isn't as long as I hoped it would be, but it's longer than the other ones at least! So, make sure to say something if I break your brain with this one. :P And, hey, JuJu, I'm sorry I didn't update yesterday, my muse locked herself in a closet. I won't make any promises about update times, because we know it's a lie. A filthy bacony lie.

* * *

_Seras: Age 17  
Seras' Birthday_

Seras woke with a start as something _exploded_ next to ears, and she reacted without thought; her hand dove under her pillow and came out with her unsheathed blade, swinging for her would-be attacker's throat. Her wrist was caught mid swipe and she jerked back, shaking her head to clear it of the fog of sleep. Sir Integra stood over her, smirking, a formerly air filled paper bag at her side. "It's about time you woke up, Seras." Then her smirk softened to a true smile, "Happy birthday." She murmured, and let go of the girl's wrist, "Your grandfather is waiting downstairs."

Seras' eyes lit up with surprised excitement. Was it her birthday, truly? She had lost track of the time, and looked woefully at the calendar on her wall. Well, really, it was entirely her fault! She could hear Fluffy's mocking laughter in the back of her mind and momentarily scowled before hopping out of bed and getting dressed. Sir Integra left, taking the bat cage with her, as her protégé pulled on her day clothes, making her way down to the kitchen. Seras emerged onto the landing moments later, fastening the ties of her red cloak with practiced ease, and her grin widened to near inhuman proportions as she spied the small decorations scattered about the little home. She bounced into the kitchen with such a bright sunny aura that it almost hurt the Huntswoman's eyes to look at her.

"Happy birthday Ki-oomph!" Walter grunted as Seras threw herself at him, laughing. The pair staggered back against the counter where breakfast was waiting to be transported to the table, and the elderly man's violent eyes twinkled with good humor as he patted her head.

* * *

Seras lolled lazily across the wide couch like bench on her grandfather's back porch, blue eyes half closed as she basked in the warmth of the sunlight. She had been kindly but firmly banned from the kitchen after she kept trying to lick the spoon while Walter was making her cake, and Sir Integra was using the excuse to read in relative peace without her little apprentice hounding her for sparring practice.

With a sigh, she felt her mind begin to drift into a day dream, and a smile curled her petal pink lips as her head fell back to the cushions.

* * *

_She remembered another birthday, and another visit to her Gra'fa's house when she was just a little girl. It was her third birthday, and she had been there for the past three days because her parents were off on a business trip and he wanted to spend some time with her. Gra'fa was busy playing in the dirt (he said it was a garden) and Seras was bored. So she did was any unattended three year old would do, she sought out adventure._

_She, of course, got los a few feet into the woods, but that didn't matter yet, she was having fun. The little blonde girl in the much too large red cloak (tripled onto itself to not trip her up) acted like a ninja; creeping up behind bushes and peering through them only to be disappointed at the lack of anything on the other side. She was getting hungry, and thirty, and tired, because she was skipping her nap to do this, and she was getting a bit cranky._

_Spotting a cluster of berries, the little girl scampered over to them eagerly, and was just about to pluck one when a male voice spoke up from behind her; "I wouldn't." Two simple words, but they made her pause and turn back to stare up at the tall man wearing red._

"_No?" Seras asked, looking confused. She was hungry._

"_No." He repeated, shaking his head, "They're bad for you."_

_Seras pouted, "But I'm hungry." _

_He laughed wickedly, "So am I. But that's not important."_

_Seras blinked at him dumbly, "Huh?" Her neck was starting to hurt from having to crane her head back so far to look at him. "You're too tall." She informed him with the air of superiority and infallible knowledge only a child can posses, small hand tugging the edge of his long red coat because his pants were tucked into his boots._

_He chuckled again and crouched down, though he still towered over her, "Is that so? Well, Little Red Riding Hood, are you lost?" He asked, eyes hidden behind yellow tinted glasses._

_Seras frowned and thought for a moment, looking around. "I'm hungry." She said as an answer, "Gra'fa said he'd make me a sa'wich."_

"_And where does Gra'fa live?" The tall man asked her, grinning, and she thought for a moment that he had fangs. She pointed towards the right (the wrong way) and said, "In the ca'in in the woods."_

_He chuckled again, and Seras liked the sound, leaning closer to him trustingly. "Does he? Well, Little Red Riding Hood, let's go get you a sandwich, hm?" _

_Seras beamed, and held up her arms in the universal signal to be picked up. The tall man obliged, and she squealed with glee as she was lifted higher and higher until she perched up on his shoulders with his gloved hands firmly around her legs. She rested her hands on his hat and giggled as she got a bird's eye view of the little clearing._

_It was as they were walking out of the woods a couple minutes later that Seras' mother screamed/ "Let go of her, you __monster__!" What happened next was all a blur, and Seras' memory seemed to ripple for a moment, becoming something else entirely._

_The now teenaged Seras found herself perched on the top step of the back porch of her Grandfather's house, staring out into the woods where a figure stood waiting._

_She felt an inexorable pull towards that figure and she stood, walking towards him. (Him? Yes, it was a male, she knew it.) She caught the play of light across his teeth as he smiled at her and held out his arm invitingly._

_She knew this man, she saw him in almost every night in her dreams. Sometimes they talked, sometimes they played little games of what he called hide and seek, that she called nightmares because the landscape would change and become maze like, and these horrible six eyed dogs would chase her, herding her towards where he lay in wait at the center… But lately, the dreams had changed to something more sensual and she trembled as she stopped a foot away from him, turning to look back of her shoulder indecisively. She knew this man. There was no need to be afraid._

_There was… She…_

* * *

"SERAS!" Sir Integra yelled as she looked out the door, and saw the girl moving sluggishly across the clearing towards the edge of the woods. What was the girl doing?!

Leaping off the steps and landing nimbly on the packed dirt path through the grass, the Huntswoman lunged for her apprentice and caught her arm in a steely grip but the girl continued to try and walk, heedless of her presence. Integra snarled and swung herself in front of the smaller girl, whose eyes were closed and her expression slack as though she were sleeping. "Seras!" She shouted again, directly in the girl's face, but it had no effect. Seras' feet continued to move in that sluggish forward motion despite her upper body being held in place by the older blonde blocking her path.

Growling, the Huntswoman kept a firm hand on Seras' arm, and turned to face the line of trees where, as she suspected, there was an ominous shadow. She sneered, curling her lip, "_You_," she hissed. Drawing her gun quick as a flash she fired, and watched with no sense of satisfaction as the figure vanished.

It was moments later that Seras opened her eyes, blinking blearily up at the back of Sir Integra, "Whuh?" She muttered, swaying on her feet. She felt so tired for having just taken a nap.

She was yanked forward heedlessly to stand at the border of the clearing and the forest, and she followed Sir Integra's gaze to the set of wolf prints on the other side. Those prints were far too big to be a mortal creature's passage.

Seras' gut clenched and her throat went dry staring at the size of those paws.

"He's mocking us." Sir Integra snarled.

"Isn't he always?" Seras asked dully, a frown tugging the corners of her mouth down. What was she doing here? The last thing she remembered was dozing off on the bench…

A howl rent the silence, and the call was swiftly taken up by the lesser wolves until they were surrounded by the song of the wild.

"Why is he doing this?" She asked the Huntswoman, sounding younger than her years.

"Because he hates to lose." Sir Integra sounded disgusted. "But that monster bit off more than he can chew." Her voice turned to steel, "Your training is nearly at an end, Seras."

"Yes, Master."

The hand moved from her upper arm to her shoulder and squeezed, "Remember what I promised you eleven years ago, Seras. It will come true, I'll make sure of it."

"Thank you, Sir."

High above them, the dim moon floating in the dusky sky bled red.


	8. Chapter 8

**Huff, Puff, And Blow You Away**

_**Ketti:** _I feel so guilty when I see people reviewing Dr. Paws or WCHB, or TSS, or Problem Child, or... yeah, Ketti feels bad. But my muse is a bitch. :|  
But, hey, you get to read this, at least! I swear that no matter how long it takes I'm not abandoning anything, I love to write Hellsing stuff. It's just sometimes... well, yeah. I won't bore you with excuses because as I said before. Filthy. Bacony. Lies.

* * *

_Seras: Age 19  
On The Hunt_

Seras Victoria, affectionately known as Little Red Riding Hood due to her trademark red cloak she wore no matter the season, pulled lightly at her mare's reins to slow her as they approached the little town. She was on the traditional one year leave from her Ma-…her mentor, travelling the countryside and exterminating any beast she was asked, be it demon or hob goblin. Ahead of her she saw a familiar head of spiky blonde hair and grinned as she dug in her heels to signal a trot. "Angel Dust!" She cried as she approached the black clad priest who had his sleeves rolled to his elbows as he hammered a board into place, helping to repair some poor lout's house wall.

"Ah tol' yeh nah t' call m' tha'!" He growled as she dismounted and bounced up to him, red cloak flying with her shoulder length mop of equally blonde hair.

"And I told you that you're an old grump." She teased, ducking easily as he mock swung the hammer at her, her blue eyes gleaming with mischief.

"Sheddup little lass, or grab a hammer." Father Anderson grunted irritably, motioning to the shabby one at his feet. Seras shrugged and did as she was told, finding the nail pail and grabbing a handful to assist the Paladin in his good deeds.

"This reminds me of the day we met." She murmured half to herself, and laughed softly, shaking her head.

* * *

_Seras, still only into her third month away from Integra, wrote letters at each town to her Grandfather to keep him and the Huntswoman up to date on her progress. Her mare – Fairbrook – was getting tired and her steps lagged, so Seras dismounted to ease the poor thing's burden. They were about a mile from town when she heard the sound of cutting wood. Curious, and hoping to rest her horse for a bit and get her some water, Seras turned and made her way towards the distinct chopping noise._

_What she saw wasn't truly a surprise, but she blushed nonetheless as she came upon a shirtless man swinging the ax to split the wood. "Oh my, naked chest." She mumbled, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from making further stupid comments. Fairbrook whickered and the blonde man turned, facing Seras on his left so that she could see the old scar running from his cheek to his jaw, and deep green eyes assessed her quickly before he turned to face her fully and her blush increased ten fold as she caught sight of the sweat rolling down his tanned chest. Before she could say a word a girl burst from the house that the man was chopping wood for, and attached herself to his side with a squeal, wrapping her arms possessively around his right arm and tugging it to her chest._

"_Ach! Gerroff, lass! Ah'm not yer teddy bear t' cuddle as y' please!" He exclaimed with a thick accent, dropping the rather worn looking ax carelessly at his feet as he tried to pry the girl off with his free hand. The moment of tension between himself and Seras was broken, and she couldn't help but snicker a little at his reaction. When his attempts to pull her fingers free had no effect – she thought he must be holding back to not hurt the girl (really, she was about Seras' age by the looks, but she acted much younger) – she laughed outright and tried to muffle it behind her hand as he reached for her head, presumably to scruff her and pull the would-be leech off, and was licked for his trouble. "Ach!" He exclaimed with disgust, wiping his wet palm across the leg of his dark pants. He sent a rather poisonous glare in Seras' direction when her laughter only escalated further._

"_Zella!" A woman called from the doorway of the little house, scandalized, "How many times must I tell you to leave the Father alone?" The girl, Zella, eeped and let go of the man, high tailing it for the woods with a laugh. The middle aged woman shook her head in despair and turned an apologetic smile to the blonde man, "I'm sorry, Father Anderson, for the way my daughter has man handled you. We do so terribly appreciate your help with the wood while my husband is i-Oh! A visitor. Is she an acquaintance of yours?" The housewife asked the apparent priest before turning her cinnamon brown gaze back to the girl in the red cloak leaning against her horse._

_Father Anderson grunted noncommittally and reached down for the axe once more. Seras' laughter finally abated to a point where she could talk, and she grinned at the elder female warmly, "No, I'm just a passing traveler. I was hoping to rest my horse for a moment if I may?" She inquired politely and the matronly woman nodded, smiling in return, "Of course, of course, we don't often get visitors so I'm happy to oblige miss."_

"_My name is Seras." She supplied helpfully, "Seras Victoria."_

_The priest made a sound in the back of his throat and half turned once more to size her up a second time, "Ah've heard of ye, yer Sir Hellsing's new trainee. On yer solo year, then, lass?"_

_Seras flushed, and ducked her head a little, "Yes, I'm only three months into it, though."_

_Father Anderson shrugged and resumed cutting the wood. "Then, little lass, here's a bi' o' advice. Do yer good deeds f'r free, an' gain th' peoples trust. It will only do ye good in th' end."_

_Seras nodded thoughtfully, and cocked her head to the side as she observed the myriad of scars road mapping the Paladin's back. On that note, she turned to the missus and asked with a sunny grin if she needed any help with the wash or cooking…_

* * *

"So," Seras drawled after recovering her train of thought from memory lane, "Did you leave anything for me?" She teased as she nailed the last board into place and stood back to observe her handiwork.

"Oh aye, there's a whole pack'o th' beasties." Anderson grunted as he joined her. It wasn't perfect, the newer boards were brighter than the faded originals, but it would keep out the elements and that was good enough for free labor. "Ah didnae get t' the' leader a'fore they fled like dogs wi' their tails 'tween their legs." He spat on the ground for emphasis and kicked some dirt over it with his boot. "They'll be back."

"Mmm," Seras hummed, rocking back on her heels and stretching her back. Anderson turned his head from the sight of her breasts being thrust up into the air, and Seras grinned a bit wickedly before she flicked the edges of her cloak across her shoulders to help prevent the façade of modesty.

Obscenely, the words to a nursery rhyme floated in her mind, and she hummed along without realizing it.

_Who's afraid of the big bad wolf, big bad wolf, big bad wolf?_

"Stop that." Angel Dust growled, and Seras blinked. "Stop what?" He shot her a look, but said nothing more as he turned away from her and made his way deeper into the village towards the inn. Seras grumbled to herself and followed him. "I bet you and Integra have _so_ much in common." She rolled her eyes, but grinned fondly as she did so.

She truly did like the Paladin, he was a man firmly set in his ways, but he was kind in his own way, and had helped her a handful of times when she was struggling. Another memory threatened to trigger, but she held it at bay at least until she booked her room and settled Fairbook into a comfortable stall for the night. Seras would need the nap if she was going to deal with an entire bloody _pack_ of weres.


	9. Chapter 9

**Huff, Puff, And Blow You Away**

* * *

_Seras: Age 19  
On The Hunt(P2)_

The sun was setting, and Seras Victoria was just rolling out of bed, blue eyes foggy with sleep as she pulled on her boots and smoothed the wrinkles from her cloak before pulling up the hood and checking that her 'stealth' weapons were secure; wrist holstered knife, a little derringer pistol in her left boot, the longer blade at the small of her back, and her supply of ammo clips tucked into the hidden pockets sewn in the inner lining of her precious red garment. Grinning a bit, she attached her Harky to her hip, the gun looking far too large for her slight frame. Her Grandfather Walter had modified it so that she didn't need to reload after only six shots, and she'd need them all to deal with the pack. Smothering a yawn with her hand, she made her way downstairs, unsurprised to see a huddle of mercs at the bar, their weapons blatant and run of the mill. Twitching the cloak across her shoulders to somewhat obscure the size of her bust, Seras spotted the massive form of Alexander Anderson at a table, and made her way towards him. She blinked when she got closer, surprised to see there was somebody already there; a boy with strangely blue-grey hair, an eyepatch, dressed rather like a noble, and a clearly demonic raven on his shoulder with a collar around the black bird's neck. Well now, could he be the Phantom she'd heard about?

The raven cawed at her when she got within five feet, drawing the attention of the male occupants of the table, and the boy reached up to tap the razor beak with a gloved finger, "Quiet, Bastian." His monotone would have thrown her if she hadn't grown up with Sir Integra, and she smiled as she pulled up a chair. "Hullo, my names Seras."

Anderson shoved the basket of bread her way with a grunt, and lifted an arm to summon the bar maid, who took Seras' muffled order of a bowl of stew, the other two had already eaten.

A few minutes later there was a clatter as the empty tray hit the floor and a choire of cat calls and woops from the group of mercenaries, and Seras pursed her lips, already knowing what must have happened.

"Daesgustin'." Angel Dust growled, just about to stand up and teach the louts the meaning of chivalry when the first howl sounded off in the distance. The entire room stilled in an instant and Seras gulped down her last mouthful of stew before leaving the bowl and a gold coin on the table as she jogged for the door.

"They're coming from the east, the barn would be the high ground." The boy spoke at her side, a gun already in hand. Seras nodded and the pair maneuvered their way onto the roof while Anderson and the loosely organized men spread out across the borders of the little town, all the peoples tucked into their cellars and bolt holes already.

When the first were emerged from the trees it was met with a bayonet through the throat, and it died within seconds as the blessed silver poisoned its blood. From there it was a blood bath, plain and simple. The ranged hunters on the barn roof got no action whatsoever until Bastian dive bombed them and landed on the out stretched arm of the child (surely he was no more than thirteen if that?) who turned a solemn eye upon her, "There's a half dozen of them coming up from behind." Seras cursed and swung her gun up onto her shoulder as she turned and started to run across the length of the barn roof. This was going to hurt like a bitch if she did it wrong. Picking up speed, cloak flying behind her like a red angel's wing, she leapt and managed to land on the edge of the inn's roof, but she couldn't allow herself to hesitate and her other foot came down in front of the other. She ran with thundering steps to the other side where she fought against the urge to close her eyes as she leaped again for the next roof of a house, thankful that these were the sturdier wood and stone structures that wouldn't be as apt to collapse under her. The Phantom's raven flew above her, guiding her towards the true hunting party.

With a jolt, she realized that the pack leader was at the front of the group, and her jaw clenched as she took in the size of the creature; he was huge and mottled black and grey with scars running across his chest and half an ear missing. Looking ahead, she saw a flat roof of a shop, and swung her Harky up to fire as she jumped. It all happened very quickly, she fired with near convulsive jerks of her finger as she hit the brick, and allowed herself to go limp and slide across its length. She landed with a grunt on the far edge, thankful for the foot high lip, and reached for a new clip right as the building shook. "Fuck." She swore, clearly she hadn't killed the leader, or else the five with him were especially determined. Dropping the gun, she jerked her wrist up and down to release the catch on the blade and threw it at the exact moment a leering wolf's head appeared over the edge of the building. The blessed silver knife – soaked in holy water – sunk home into the sulphurous yellow eye and the were toppled backwards with a howl, already dead before he hit the ground below.

Reaching for her loaded miniature pistol, Seras flung herself backwards in a roll and came up on her feet with the barrel aimed right into the open mouth of a slavering brindle. She fired.

That left three more wolves, and she didn't have the time to reload. She grabbed the blade at her back and took a ready stance, waiting for the others to appear, perhaps all at once, and they did. Fortunately for her, three loud shots rang out into the night air and the beasts fell dead at her feet. "Thank god." She muttered, turning to the edge of the roof to thank her savior, and was stunned at who she saw.


	10. Chapter 10

**Huff, Puff, And Blow You Away**

* * *

_Seras: Age 19  
On The Hunt(P3)_

"Master!" Seras cried joyously, taking in the figure of Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing astride a new, and pure white, mount with her gun lowered to her lap, a slight smile curling the blonde's lips. "Seras." She greeted from below, "Six against one? I thought I taught you better than that."

Little Red Riding Hood rubbed at the back of her head, embarrassed, and laughed, "Well, I didn't want anyone to die…"

The look the Huntswoman gave her made her feel ten years old again and her cheeks warmed with a blush as she bent to gather her fallen things, tucking them back in their proper places before she levered herself over the edge and dropped off the single story roof with loose knees to lessen the impact. She still grunted and flexed her fingers with a grimace on her face before she turned and found the carcass of her second victim, retrieving the knife and wiping the blood off on the stinking wolf's fur before sheathing it.

"Well, I doubt there's anything left to kill, but I'm sure the inn has another open room." Seras chirped with forced cheer, cheeks still flushed with pink as she turned and made her way back towards the middle of town. The gentle clop-clop-clop of hooves behind her told her that her teacher was following. After a moment, she thought to look up, but caught no hint of Bastian the raven, and shrugged. Well, clearly, the wolves were dead, so why follow her?

When they got back to the two story inn, the lights were on in the dining hall and she could hear boisterous laughter. Shrugging it off, she walked along the edge towards the barn where she found Alexander Anderson waiting for her.

"Hey, Angel Dust, how many'd you get?" She asked teasingly, a real grin on her pale face. He opened his mouth to speak when she saw his green eyes light with recognition and he smirked instead, "Well, now, if it isn't Sir Hellsing 'erself." He bowed, and Seras shifted her gaze towards the figure still astride her horse and caught a glimpse of something strange on the woman's face before she dismounted and led the white beauty inside without a word.

Seras' brows rose into her hairline at that, and she stole a sidelong glance at the Paladin's face to see a similarly strange look. Well, well, well…

She smirked, "I'll leave you two to it, Angel Dust." She murmured before turning and making her way back to the inn and her room, by passing the common room where the mercs were getting noisily drunk. A few doors shy of her own she saw light spilling out of the open room, and peered in curiously to see the boy petting the top of his raven's head. He turned when he noticed her and nodded, unsmiling, "Bastian informs me you took down the leader. I commend you, Miss Victoria." Seras grinned, and moved on to drop her weapons carelessly to the floor, lock the door, and place the long blade that fit in the small of her back under her pillow before she fell into the land of dreams.

When she woke later that morning she heard that the mercenaries lost two of their men in the skirmish, and felt briefly sorry for them as she gobbled down her breakfast, waiting for the Paladin and Huntswoman to appear. She had the sneaking suspicion that the blondes three would be travelling together for a few days.


	11. Chapter 11

_Huff, Puff, and Blow You Away_

_**Ketti:**_Omigaw' an update! No way! *coughs*  
Yeah, I feel guiltyyyy... especially when people review my other stories. SO. MUCH. GUILT. For those of you asking about Alucard? PATIENCE. His greatness is coming soonish. ... Ish. *enjoys tormenting the readers* And I guess I could've tried to make him more epic, JuJu, but I added that character you wanted despite knowing nothing about him. :P BE HAPPY! DO IT NOW!

* * *

_Seras: Age 19  
On The Road_

Seras was right, oh so damned right. The blondes three set off on the road the next day, Sir Integra and Angel Dust were riding at the front, and though no, they were not riding too close, not talking intimately, not doing anything that would imply anything between them beyond acquaintance, Seras still felt like the third wheel. Especially since she was the one hitched to the wagon and kept to the rear of their little group. Fairbrook nickered and lifted her head for a moment to look back at Seras in the driver's seat and the blonde smiled at her mare before glancing back into the bed of the wagon where a canvas covered birdcage lay. Sir Integra had left it in the woods with Fluffy as protection when she heard the were's howl, knowing she needed to be fast to make a difference in the outcome.

[Seras sighed (again) to herself and blew a tuft of bangs from her face with a puff of air before reaching up with tucking her hair into her raised hood a little better. She considered waking Fluffy up for some conversation but put it off, somewhat wary of Angel Dust's reaction to the pet vampire.

Fidgeting on the wooden bench seat she resigned herself to boredom, and watched her surroundings with little interest.

It was hours later, nearing dusk when they reached the borders of the next town, and Seras perked up immediately. Chances were good they'd book rooms at the inn and that meant she could find somebody to talk to for the next few hours.

She cheered silently when the two in front turned in sync towards the two story building with the hanging sign of a bed and a second one with a tankard, an inn with a tavern.

After stabling the horses (and discreetly unlocking Fluffy's cage so the little hellion could play guard bat) the blondes three made their way inside and Seras booked it for the tavern half of the first floor to find some people her own age to chat with. It didn't take her long to spot a couple at an open table, and the short haired ravenette with chestnut eyes smiled and beckoned her over, her companion (also raven haired) said nothing and simply lifted his mug to his lips with a bandage wrapped hand. Seras beamed as she flopped down into the open seat, her cloak fluttering dramatically as she did so, "Hi, I'm Seras. What's your name?"

The girl grinned, and Seras admired her slanted eyes, they made her look very elfin and lovely, "My name's Saya, and this is Haji." Haji nodded to her, expression neutral, "he doesn't talk much." Saya laughed.

The two females fell into easy conversation, with Haji throwing in the occasional comment, until Seras' ears pricked at the sound of Integra's voice raised with incredulity. "A _what_?"

"If you'll excuse me…" Seras murmured, and Saya nodded amicably, she left a handful of copper on the table to pay for her meal and stood, weaving through the tables and bodies to appear at Sir Integra's side, a bloody shadow dressed all in red. The Huntswoman was seated at the bar's counter, talking to a pretty bar maid with dirty blonde hair and appealing hazel eyes with heavy lashes and naturally pouted lips, and the expression on the eyepatch bearing Huntress' face made Seras' brows raise in question.

"A siren, she lives in the lake just outside of town, and lures men to their death." The sultry voice of the female sent shivers down Seras' spine, "A very dangerous creature, dozens of men have already fallen prey to her voice."

"Women are losing their husbands, daughters their fathers. Not our usual prey, but as monster hunters we're duty bound to stop any threat to the human populace." Sir Integra sighed, bringing a hand up to rub the bridge of her nose under her glasses, "Can you take us to the lake?"

The bar maid glanced to the austere blonde's right where Alexander Anderson sat nursing a mug of ale, and her brows rose questioningly, "All of you?"

"O'course, Ah shall nae be swayed by pretty words, Ah em a messenger of God's divine wrath on earth." Angel Dust rumbled with his deep voice, draining the last of the alcohol in one fell swoop before standing to tower above the still seated Huntswoman and the diminutive Little Red Riding Hood.

Seras glanced at her Master for a moment before shrugging and pulling the hood of her cloak up and over her head to drape low across her eyes, waiting as Sir Integra stood as well, placing her coin on the counter, "You heard the man, lead us to this lake so that we might vanquish the monster before it lures more innocents to their death." Her voice was cold and hard, bearing no room for argument. The pretty bar maid gave them a worried look before nodding and hurrying into the back to inform the owner of her whereabouts. She returned a minute later with her own deep green cloak thrown over her beige dress, the apron gone. On their way out the door the woman grabbed a lantern and pointed to the north, "It's there."

The blondes three (or four, really) walked behind their guide in silence for a while before Seras grew antsy and sidled up to the woman and glanced curiously at her from under her hood, "So," she drawled cheerfully, "what's your name?"

"Ariel."

"My name's Seras."

Silence followed this, their guide giving a nod of recognition.

"So…" She drawled again, "what's a siren, anyways? I've never heard of them."

Ariel gave her an incredulous look, "Really?" Her voice was flat, unimpressed, "Well, a siren is a beautiful female with an enchanting voice that targets men, luring them to their deaths in the water where they proceed to devour the corpses. As they say 'everything but the liver', but I'm sure the fish take care of that."

Seras cringed, disgusted, "So they use their voices as weapons, hm?" She seemed to be asking herself, her features smoothing into blankness as she considered the idea. Slowly her steps lagged and she dropped back to hover at Sir Integra's side where she again cast the woman a sidelong look. It was returned with brows raised and Seras tilted her head curiously before nodding and dropping further still back from the little travelling party, her eyes long accustomed to the dimness of forests at night. The halo of light from the lantern guided her steps onward as, despite the lurid red color, she blended seamlessly into the background.

"Ah dinnae think Ah like this…" Angel Dust's voice carried easily through the silent woods, and Seras began to count in her head; _three…two…one…_

"It's just a little further." Ariel's voice called back from the protective glow of the lamp light, soothing and sweet, it dulled the senses and Seras snorted silently. _And Master calls me dramatic…_

She knew what was coming just as surely as Sir Hellsing did.

_'My, what big eyes you have, Grandmother.'_

She heard a twig snap and ducked behind a tree, blue eyes scanning the area before catching sight of an olive skinned, slightly pudgy male with black hair and thick framed glasses, he looked to be stalking them, or perhaps Ariel, and he wasn't doing a very good job of it.

_'All the better to see you with, my dear.'_

He clenched his fist and bared his teeth as he tracked the sphere of light through the remaining trees and into the open space surrounding the lake. Seras decided to follow him and watched as he circled around to the side closest to the water, and she wondered what he planned to do, unarmed as he was.

_'My, what big ears you have, Grandmother.'_

"Where is this siren you spoke of?" Sir Integra's voice carried through the silence once more, and Seras' lips twisted into a lopsided smirk.

_'All the better to hear you with, my dear._'

"Right here!" Ariel exclaimed, and Seras heard the shifting of waters as if a wave were being stirred by a nonexistent wind, and the voice began to change, looking all semblance of humanity to become an ethereal croon of wonders untold. "Fetch, boy." The voice commanded and Seras heard Anderson's snarl of protest.

Integra laughed and the sound of clashing metal rang out like a bell, "Did you think I did not know? Your glamour slipped, and your hair color changed twice during our walk."

"Where's the other one?" Ariel screeched angrily, the sound like nails on a chalkboard and Seras cringed, but stayed back, waiting.

She saw her cue when the male in the trees went stiff as a board before lumbering out towards the lake with a fierce expression on his otherwise mild features. Seras whistled sharply as she leapt from her covering, cloak flying behind her like an avenging angel's wings as she cracked the male on the back of the head to knock him unconscious, turning her cold stare to the naked woman in the middle of the lake, her hair down to her waist and such a white blonde as to appear silver, her eyes a scalding scarlet. "I'm right here, you bitch." Seras taunted, knowing Sir Integra had Angel Dust well in hand the girl began to run towards the lake, each step drawing more and more bats from the surrounding trees as Fluffy stirred her mortal kin into a frenzy.

"Now shut up and die already." Seras laughed wildly as she leaped into the air, flanked on all sides by bats as she revealed the shotgun hidden by her cloak, aiming right for the she-demon's head. The swarm was crowding the lake's surface, pinning the siren to her rock and blocking her escape even as she screamed and Seras' ears began to bleed, her manic grin never faded as she fired. BANG! BANG! **BANG!**

A cloud of red mist took the place of the hell bound creature, and the bats scattered with their own high pitched shrieks as Fluffy's hold on them was released. Unfortunately for Seras… She misjudged how powerful her leap was, and landed with an enormous splash in the freezing cold waters of the lake, right next to a picked clean skeleton.

As she spluttered around, scrambling to her feet, only to slip and practically French the grinning skull leering up at her, Sir Integra burst out laughing helplessly, "I warned you about being dramatic, Seras, see what it gets you?"


	12. Chapter 12

**Huff, Puff, And Blow You Away**

_**Ketti:**_. . . TROLLS! *runs*

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_Seras: Age 19  
On The Road_

Seras stared dubiously at her 'travelling companions' and shook her head, "Yeah, no, I'm gonna go on ahead and let you two get all touchy feely without me." She informed Sir Integra and Angel Dust Anderson with a cheeky grin as she swatted her mare's bum and went galloping off, laughing uproariously at the muffled curses of her Master.

That had been yesterday.

In her defense, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

She laughed quietly to herself as she adjusted her cloak and tried to get comfortable in the saddle as Fairbrook plodded along at a gentle pace through the woods.

Her laugh was answered by an echoing chorus of masculine mirth as the young Huntress was surrounded by a gang of men she loosely thought she recognized from a tavern a few towns back.

"Ah, mignonette, what is such a lovely mademoiselle such as yourself doing in such dark woods as these… alone?" A heavily accented voice crooned from behind, and Seras whirled about on Fairbook to face the red headed man with an eye patch.

Seras' lips compressed into a firm line as she sized up the apparent leader of the group, undeterred, he took a step closer, and wraggled his brows suggestively. "Wouldn't you rather have an escort, mignonette?"

"I'm fine on my own, thanks." Seras answered, and Fairbook danced back a step as the Frenchman got a little too close for comfort. Seras' left hand dropped to her waist where she kept her more obvious dagger and her blue eyes widened as she watched his hand approach and… She stared at him, flabbergasted, as he caressed her thigh intimately. Then, of course, the temporary shock wore off, and she lashed out like any traditional heroine in the stories… and kicked the pervert in the chin. If she knocked a tooth or two out in the process, well, he deserved it.

She whirled Fairbrook around, and the mare stood, lashing her front hooves out impressively to intimidate the other men as they cried out in outrage over their leader's treatment. Seras bared her teeth in a parody of a grin as she urged her mare to charge the path, and the men, not being suicidal in the least, got the hell out of the way.

Unfortunately for Little Red Riding Hood… bright red cloaks don't exactly lend themselves well to blending into lush green forests in the middle of the day. She yelped as a rain of arrows flew down around her, miraculously missing her horse, because fuck you depth perception, and was annoyed when one got lodged in her cloak, because, damnit, arrow holes are a bitch to fix. She cursed and urged Fairbrook faster as she heard the men shouting in pursuit. (Well, that's not very smart, now she knows where they are.)

Seras, hyped up on adrenaline, and senses already finely honed from her years of training, heard the creaking of the branch just in time to look up and see the big burly mustachioed balding man jumping her with a rather frightening look on his face. Her eyes widened and she rather feared for her virginity as she ducked and heard the loud _thud_ as the would be rapist hit the dirt and her horse continued on into the trees apparently full of pedophiles. More arrows followed her and cat calls of rather, well, vulgar nature. Fortunately, she had a horse, so fuck the guys on foot, she was getting away. (In her head, Seras could clearly hear the Benny Hill Show music playing.)

Well, that was that, and, yanno, she, like, jumped a small gorge or something on her ever so trustworthy steed, just like all the good guys in western flicks. Because it's cool. The End.

…No, not really. But she did get away and pose dramatically on the opposite ledge of the jump with her cloak flaring about her like blood soaked wings. The image only mildly ruined by the arrow dragging the bottom hem down with its weight. Tch.


	13. Chapter 13

**Huff, Puff, And Blow You Away**

_**Ketti:**_It's so short. Sorry. But, hey, three updates in one day. Maybe I can manage another one. I'll try. But I messed my ankle up. It hurts really bad. D:

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_Seras: Age 19  
Visiting Grandfather_

Seras passed through the village that was once her home on her way to her grandfather's house, and she stared at the barren stretch of land that used to be her family's farm. The row of white crosses at the base made her sad, and she turned her face away to gaze into the woods. The woods… She still remembered her journey through them during the 'game' with the Big Bad Wolf. She'd never seen the same creatures from that day during her training between those very trees, and wondered if perhaps it was the creature that called himself the Wolf that caused it. She made her way down the (yellow brick road) spell woven path between the trees that allowed humans safe travel into the otherwise monster infested forest, and arrived at her Grandfather's house just at the cusp of twilight. She dismounted Fairbrook and lead the faithful mare to the small barn behind the house, brushing her out and splitting a pail of oats with her horse and Walter's donkey Penwood. When Seras approached the back porch she found him waiting for her on the bench swing, patting the spot next to him with a smile and a sandwich tray on the side table.

Seras laughed, and hugged the only remaining member of her family tight, clutching him tight for a moment before letting go and sitting down to lean her head on his shoulder.

"Say, Grandfather…" Seras hummed after a bit, "I remembered something a while ago, about the time I got lost in the woods and that man brought me back… What…" She paused, "What actually happened?"

"Ah, that." Walter looked pensive, and his fingers slid into his pocket to retrieve and cigarette that he fiddled with, not yet lighting it. "I was wondering if you'd bring that up some day…"

He tucked the still unlit fag in his mouth and tipped his head back, staring at the ceiling. Seras observed that, despite the wrinkles, he didn't look _that_ old.

"That man used to be a bit of a friend, you see. You'd know him now as…" he hesitated again, "The Big Bad Wolf as he told you." Seras gasped, eyes widening with horror.

"But…"

"Your mother knew, of course, he's taken up residence in these woods for many years and has by no means been subtle about it. My job, as it were, was to ensure no … incidents happened. As you can see, I failed." He sounded so sad, that she wanted to put a hand on his shoulder and comfort him. "I can't tell you why he did what he did, little Kitten, or why he brought you back. Your parents had arrived just then, and saw you riding his shoulders…" He looked pained, "Your mother grabbed the gun from your father and shot him in the chest. Of course you know it didn't kill him. Perhaps that was what made him change…" He mused.

Seras frowned, and stared moodily at her lap before eating the sandwich numbly. This was… a lot of information to take in. "He's a vampire, isn't he? I remember his eyes…" She mumbled.

Her grandfather made a low noise in his throat, a hum of agreement, and patted her awkwardly on the shoulder. "It's late, dear, you should get to bed."

She left two days later, well fed and rested, restocked on supplies, and more determined than ever to find the Wolf, if only to ask him why before she cut off his head, pierced his heart, and scattered the ashes at a crossroads.

She was just leaving the borders of the woods when she heard a noise. Eyes widening, she kicked Fairbrook forward and threw herself to the side. She was yanked from the saddle by long ragged claws, and she swallowed her scream as the slavering jaws of a werewolf invaded her view. There was a moment that the creature paused and Seras felt a sense of déjà vu at the look on his face before his head was ripped off and the beast's body fell on top of her. Seras grunted and wormed her way free of the corpse, thankful that her red cloak hid the bloodstains as she peered up, and up, and up into a pale face under a red brimmed hat.

"I… I know you."


	14. Chapter 14

_**Huff, Puff 'n' Blow You Away**_

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_Seras: Age 19  
Travelling Companions_

"Do you indeed?" The man's voice oozed into her ears like syrup, and she blinked to clear her head. A gloved hand was offered to her and she took it, helped easily to her feet by her mysterious savior.

"Yes." But she sounded a bit unsure of herself.

"…Don't I?"

The brim of the hat was tipped up and she gazed into the aristocratic face beneath with wide eyes. When their eyes met she blinked, feeling as though the world had dropped out from beneath her feet for a moment, before she smiled hesitantly, "Thanks for the help."

The grin was returned with perfectly white teeth that looked… She blinked again. She felt a little strange, but perhaps that was because she hit her head. (No, she was sure something was off about the man, but what?)

"It was my pleasure, my lady." He crooned and bowed to her before straightening and readjusting his fedora with a flick of his wrist, "Perhaps you'd appreciate some company? To find your horse at least." He offered, and she couldn't find it in her to refuse.

They walked side by side for a moment, easily tracking the mare's prints, and Seras' mind began to clear the longer she spent _not_ looking at the man. "You're a vampire." She said at last, straight to the point.

"Yes." He admitted easily.

"Why're you helping me?" She asked suspiciously.

"So ungrateful!" He exclaimed with a laugh, and Seras felt herself flush a little, "Suffice to say you interest me, Little Red Riding Hood."

"I'm not sure if that's a good thing…" Seras mumbled, perfectly aware he could hear her.

He laughed again and dropped a gloved hand on her shoulder to lean in close, and out of the corner of her eye she could see his red ones burning with amusement, "I'm not sure it is either." He purred into her ear before releasing her.

Seras felt a shudder creep up her spine, but the emotion behind it was hard to distinguish. They found Fairbrook waiting for them by a stream not far off, and Seras remounted her horse with ease.

"What's your name?" Seras asked at last as she readjusted her hood and gazed down at the amiable figure by her side.

"I have many names but you may call me Alucard." He purred, red eyes glowing beneath the brim of his hat as he looked up at her.

"Well, I have a name other than Little Red Riding Hood," Seras grumbled a moment, "It's Seras. Seras Victoria."

Somehow, she thought he was about to say 'I know', but he kept silent and merely grinned at her. She fidgeted and clasped the reins tighter.

"I can't exactly stop you from following me, and I don't really want to kill you after you helped me." She sighed, and a crooked grin lifted her lips, "So I suppose you can come with if you like."

"Ah," he breathed, sounding pleased, "and where are you headed, Little Seras?"

She grimaced a bit at the combination of her 'title' and her name, but shrugged, "Travelling."

"Indeed." He chuckled and Seras nudged Fairbrook forwards back towards the road.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Huff, Puff 'n' Blow You Away**_

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_Seras: Age 20  
Travelling Companions_

Seras glanced down at the man at her side with a curious look on her face. It was strange, despite him being a … she hesitated to say 'friendly' vampire, so settled with 'helpful' – to her at least – in the last two months in which her birthday passed, he had always managed to vanish when Sir Integra or Angel Dust came within a day's ride of her.

Well, it was rather reasonable of him to not want to be attacked for no reason, she mused.

Leaning down, she nabbed his hat and lightly kicked Faribrook into a gallop, laughing gaily as she clutched her ill gotten gain to her chest.

The rumors of the Wolf had run strangely dry, so Little Red Riding Hood was left to wander and hope the wellspring of information would fill with news once more.

The red clad menace growled playfully and gave chase, amused with the blonde's antics. They had grown from acquaintances to friends after a few more incidents of him watching her back and decidedly not trying to suck her blood. (Yet.) They made quite the pair, decked out all in red. A vampire and a hunter working together. How strange.

Seras steered Fairbrook forward, giggling madly, only to jerk to a stop and nearly fall off her mount as a man stepped into her path. "What are you, crazy?!" She shouted, blue eyes wide in her pale face.

"Ah, mignonette, how rude."

That voice… Seras tensed as she felt herself be surrounded once more, and she glared down at the Frenchman suspiciously.

"Allow me to introduce myself, cher, we never got the chance last time." He purred, and his remaining green eye locked with hers, a sultry smile on his pale lips. "I am Pip Bernadotte, cher, and bear no hard feelings." His brows arched and wraggled invitingly, but she could tell that he was lying.

"Charming." The deep voice of Alucard oozed out of the darkness as he stepped out from behind Seras and Fairbrook's shadow, "a brigand of mercenaries surrounding one little girl and her horse, you'd think this was some crude fairy tale where the prince rides to the rescue." He bared his teeth in a grin, and the men jumped back a step as they realized what he was.

Seras laughed quietly, and dropped the hat back onto the vampire's head, "Are you my knight in bloody armor, then?" She asked teasingly.

"If you wish, my lady." He purred back, ignoring the mortals to give her a rather serious look that made Seras' cheeks flush with embarrassment.

"Here now, what is this? I saw her first, vampire!" Pip snarled, "I just misplaced her is all." He leered at Seras and she made a face, hand dropping to her waist where she kept her knife. "I'm not just some property to hand around." She grumbled, scowling.

"Indeed?" Alucard questioned before laughing, "You're quite mistaken Frenchman, but as they say, possession is nine tenths of the law." And he placed a hand on Seras' leg. She was dearly tempted to swat it off, but he looked up at her and she blinked twice before sighing loudly and deciding to let the men finish their pissing contest. "Idiots." She snorted, but both of her … suitors ignored her.

"Well then, I'll just have to rectify that. Men!" Pip barked, and the mercenaries laughed as they drew their guns and swords. Seras slapped her hand to her forehead and groaned, "Screw this."

Before anyone could stop her, she kicked Fairbrook forward and swung the Harkonnen rifle from her back to smack the men back from potentially hurting her mare, and galloped off into the woods, ignoring the shouts and protests following her. Because, really, getting fought over was nice in a story, but in reality it was a bloody mess (literally) and all she wanted was to find the closest inn and have a bath.


	16. Chapter 16

_**Huff, Puff 'n' Blow You Away**_

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_Travelling Companions_

As it turned out – surprise, surprise – Alucard won the little scuffle and easily tracked her down within the hour. The little Huntress had already found the nearest inn and was deeply enjoying her bath when she felt his familiar presence ooze into the room. "If you're peeping on me I'm going to rip your eyes out." She snarled and raised a fist threateningly. He laughed at her mockingly and left, presumably to torment some other poor soul.

She'd wondered at his odd switch in sleeping habits to follow her, but he never explained when she asked, and eventually she gave up trying. Well, perhaps he'd get bored and leave her in a few months. (She didn't acknowledge, even to herself, the strange pang that went through her chest at the thought.)

She mused on her strange travelling companion as she soaked in her cooling bath, but shrugged it off with a sigh and pulled the plug. Indoor plumbing was the work of the gods! Admittedly she'd had to light the fire in the grate beneath the tub to make it warm, but there was no muss of servants – or herself – taking multiple trips with heavy pails of water to empty or fill the glorious stew of muscle relaxation. Toweling herself dry and wrapping herself comfortably in a too large shirt and her freshly washed red cloak, Seras was completely unsurprised to find Alucard lounging in the chair by the window of her room. "I always heard it was improper for a young lady to share a room with a man she wasn't engaged to." Seras mocked as she picked up the loaf of meat stuffed bread waiting on the plate beside the vampire, and gobbled it down greedily.

"Only if somebody knows about it." He replied flippantly, a smirk of his own on his perfectly sculpted face.

Seras rolled her eyes, but finished her dinner with a sigh. He'd started moving into her rooms at the various places they stayed last month, and despite the girl's initial protest, he was … well, not exactly a 'perfect gentleman' but close enough. Not to mention he always slept in the chair he'd bring up from the main foyer if none were in the room, one leg crossed at the knee, hands folded in his lap, and hat tilted down to cover his face. It was kind of creepy, to be honest.

"Mm," Seras hummed noncommittally, and sat on the edge of her comfortable bed. She looked up at him and their eyes met, and a faint smile touched her lips. She opened her mouth to ask a question, then thought better of it, feeling suddenly tired. She missed the knowing smirk on the vampire's face as she flopped dramatically onto the mattress, curled quite comfortably up in her cloak, and asleep before her head even hit the pillow.

"Ah, little Kitten, you've lost your mitten, so you may have no pie." He cooed, a manic grin splitting his features in half before he laughed and pulled the blankets up around his little pet. Soon, it was inevitable, the Huntswoman would catch them together and then… the real fun would begin.


End file.
